Number of IUD insertions up after ACA contraceptive mandate

(HealthDay)—Women in insurance plans with the greatest drop in out-of-pocket cost after the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate had the greatest gains in intrauterine device (IUD) placement, according to a study published online April 9 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Erica Heisel, from University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues evaluated changes in out-of-pocket costs and the number of IUD placements before and after mandated coverage of contraceptive services among women enrolled in employer-sponsored health plans (2009 to 2014).

The researchers found that average plan utilization of IUD services showed a significant increase between 2009 and 2014 (12.5 versus 13.8 percent; P < 0.001). There were significant differences in plan utilization over time when plans were grouped by out-of-pocket cost level. Specifically, plans that had a high out-of-pocket cost in 2009, but no out-of-pocket cost in 2014, saw a higher average increase in the rate of plan IUD insertions over time versus plans with no out-of-pocket cost at both time points (P = 0.02). For all plans, in 2009 the 75th percentile of out-of-pocket cost was $368, compared to $0 in 2014.

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